Data centers that support one or more businesses, factories or residential areas typically comprise one or more racks or cabinets filled with interconnection sites for optical fibers and fiber optic cables. In a typical installation, fiber optic cables that include multiple optical fibers from an external source (these are often known as “outside plant” or “OSP” fibers) enter the cabinet and are spliced together with individual optical fibers known as “pigtails.” Splicing typically occurs in a splice tray or similar component that includes multiple splice sites. The pigtail fibers are then connected within the cabinet to standard termination sites. The termination sites include termination ports that connect optically with “jumper” optical fibers or patch cords that exit the rack or cabinet to supply data or other information in optical form to the remainder of the building or site. The termination sites can be provided in a number of forms, including fiber distribution cartridges, fiber distribution modules, multi-position adapter couplers and/or bezels.
A support or trough may be provided on the fiber management shelf in front of the termination sites. Optical fibers from the termination sites are supported by this trough and may pass through one or more fiber retainer rings on the trough as they run toward one side of the fiber retainer shelf. Additional fiber retainer rings may be provided at each side of the trough for retaining bundles of optical fibers from a given row on the fiber management shelf and guiding them toward vertical bundles of fibers that run along the side of the fiber management shelve, especially when multiple fiber management shelves are arranged one above another in a rack. The fiber retainer rings at the sides of the shelves may be supported on the trough or attached to a vertical wall of the fiber management shelf.
Known optical fiber retainer rings are generally satisfactory. However, it would be desirable to provide an improved fiber retainer ring that can be mounted in a high density manner and that is configured to securely retain fibers passing therethrough and facilitate the insertion and removal of optical fibers therefrom when required.